April 02, 2008

Italy, like England, France and other Western nations, is apparently unable to stem polygamy among its Muslim immigrants and converts. Paradoxically, polygamy is on the rise in Western nations while it's being outlawed in some Muslim countries. This is what blind multiculturalism gets you, a relativism that accepts even the most negative aspects of other cultures. Western nations have a duty (if they wish to continue as strong, intact cultures) to take decisive legal action against polygamous marriages. Put a few high-profile polygamous husbands in jail, deport the second and third wives and their children, and this regressive practice could be stopped. It has no place in the West.

"Polygamous marriages are illegal in Italy yet are reportedly on the rise. While few Muslim immigrants or Italian converts to Islam admit such unions, Muslim scholars put the number nationwide at 15,000-20,000, La Repubblica daily reports. 'There is no doubt that the phenomenon exists, and that the number of polygamous unions growing as the number of Muslim immigrants to Italy increases,' the paper said, adding that there are also cases of polygamous Italian converts to Islam."

"No official statistics have been gathered on polygamous marriages in Italy, and estimates vary wildly from hundreds to tens of thousands, according to the paper."

"The Italian state does not issue family welfare cheques to more than one wife per husband, unlike in Britain, where the government has since February been issuing family welfare cheques to all of a polygamist's wives resident in the country. Belgium and Germany also offer benefits to polygamists' various wives, according to La Repubblica. "

How would Italy really know if the women receiving the welfare checks are second or third wives, married in an Islamic (not civil) ceremony?

Western nations that provide welfare benefits to polygamists' wives and children have lost their marbles. Provding economic incentives can only result in more polygamy, with all its attendant social ills and damage to children. As if we don't already have enough assaults on the family unit.

"Although poligamy is illegal in Italy, only Kar's first marriage to Fadu is registered. A court in the northern Italian city of Bologna allowed a Muslim immigrant to bring the mothers of his two children - his first and second wife respectively - to join them in Italy. The Bologna court justified its ruling by arguing that the two marriages had been contracted in a country where poligamy is legal."

"The ruling proved controversial in Italy. Opponents argued that in the name of cultural pluralism, the judiciary was sanctioning a practice that women in Muslim countries have been fighting against for years."

"Polygamy is already outlawed in Tunisia and Turkey, and has been almost eradicated from Morocco's new body of family law. It is also strictly regulated in many Arab countries, and economic factors have also curbed polygamous marriages in Muslim countries."

I fear the West is entering some sort of new Dark Ages. We must relearn what is good about our society, identify and protect the valuable elements of our culture. There are many: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, individual liberty and rights, and the monogamous marriage and family. That family unit, which underlies our entire society, is one of our most important elements.

November 13, 2007

Apparently (and reportedly), while the polygamous marriages were conducted by a Sharon imam and possibly at the Islamic Center of New England in Sharon, MA, the actual happy (?) couples (quadruple?) live in Rhode Island. So instead of alerting the MA Attorney General about polygamy in MA, will someone please alert the Rhode Island Attorney General? Thank you.

November 11, 2007

My posting from Friday on polygamy in Sharon, MA elicited two sets of additional questions in the comments, which I'm posting here. I hope someone in authority (MA Attorney General? DOJ?) gets wind of this. First, from Azzam, who has commented at Miss Kelly before:

1.A crime was reported to Mr.Rashid Noor. He has not informed the authorities till this time.2.This is the same board of directors who was telling the members, even in court affidavits that "all was well with the immigration papers of Imam Masood"3.Inspite of all that is going on, Imam Masood is still occupying the House at Sharon Center and about $900 a month utilities are being paid by this board. He is actively working for the next election of the Board of Directors so that he is not evicted. Why can't the members take action? They have relatives in Pakistan. His brother Hafiz Saeed, even with all the farce of Emergency in Pakistan, is allowed to roam around in the heart of Lahore with gun wielding guards in jeeps, in front and back. You need a license to carry a gun in Lahore. Even the Government is afraid of this man. How are the members going to speak?4. Under the old Religious Director there was a system. All marriage applications were filed and record kept. But one day a Lady Director( who is trying to become a Muslim Chaplain at Tufts University) picked up all the record (other than marriage record) and took it to Sharon. Got a P.O.Box in Sharon, never informing the Secretary of State of the change of address. It is alleged that under the old Religious Director "hanky panky" was not allowed.5. It is alleged that a present Director even is remarried without producing a divorce certificate from a former wife. He is a big Houncho in other Islamic Organizations also. He was so mad at the Religious Director that he violated every rule to get rid of him and capture the official record of marriages.6.We do not need an unmanned drone over North Waziristan. We need a drone over Sharon. What does the Attorney General have to say about this?7.What do the ladies of the old Aafia Siddiqu halaqa group at Sharon have to say about this?8.What does the Muslim Chaplain of Wellesley and her Hijab squad have to say about this? Silence? 9.And if it is the same beloved of the Interfaith group, then what does Rabbi Starr have to say about this?

You can click on the ICE Boston Case category to find information on two of the people mentioned above, the former Imam Masood and his brother Hafiz Saeed.

I have often wondered why the illegal aspects of polygamy aren't investigated more vigorously by authorities. When I read this story, some questions came to mind:1. How many 'extra' wives are officially registered with the state- and how? As dependents? As children?2. Are the wives of legal age?3. Are they legal residents or citizens? Or are they in the country illegally?4. If they have children, are they signing up for benefits like welfare and food stamps as 'single mothers'? (This is a common scam in Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) territory and regularly bilks taxpayers out of hundreds of thousands per poygamous family.)

Polygmay can never be self-supporting. No ordinary man can provide for the enormous families produced by multiple wives and children. Inevitably, the single and non-polygamous are exploited- usually by abuse of public monies. This is clearly seen in investigations of polygamous "mormon" cults in Utah and Arizona. (I did a piece on this recently. In-depth and well-researched - MK)I wish all the handwringing over the damage polygamy inflicts on women and children would lead somewhere, but maybe the most effective approach will prove to be the public money angle. Polygamy is a financial sinkhole for the state.

I also have wondered why the U.S. authorities turn a blind eye to polygamy (with the exception of the recent case against FLDS leader Warren Jeffs Steed). It goes against the very foundation of Western society, monogamous marriage and family. Deafening Silence is right, it's probably easier to prosecute polygamous men for welfare fraud than for polygamy. But all we need is a few cases where these men go to jail to send the message that polygamy is against the law here.

Phyllis Chesler over at Pajamas Media has been following this case too, you can read that here.